‘Meray Mutabiq’ banned yet again!

by Usman Zahid on November 24, 2009

Dubai government banned the airing of the program ‘Meray Mutabiq’ – a Geo television networks program that was aired on Saturdays onwards till Mondays. The program was an opinionated talk show; with guests invited from different political circles of the country. The talk show has been under fire over a period of time. During the Musharaf era the anchor was initially banned from Ary Television networks and then the program, ‘Meray Mutabiq’ was banned again in the 3rd November, 2007 emergency and it remained ban till March, 2008 even after the forming of the new government. Though after the government was formed the anchor joined Pakistan Television Network (PTV), state run media channel, as MD-PTV; though later he resigned from the post and restarted his program, ‘Meray Mutabiq’; it is important to mention that Dr. Shahid Masud as a student was a member of Pakistan Peoples Party.
The banning of such a program does not only cast shadows at our government but also at the Dubai government for interfering in the freedom of expression. A few weeks back the committee on Media laws in Parliament was thinking to reinstate the 3rd November, 2007 Pemra Ordinance, which was a subjective evaluation of the media and media persons and would make them liable to heavy fines and could put the journalists behind bars.

Current government is finding it hard to maintain media in a certain limit; as issues like sugar, electricity, NRO and Kerry-Lugar Bill are being highlighted. It is sad to see that government is making more effort in curtailing the telecast of a talk-show while not making much effort on the day-to-day issues of the masses. The current step taken by the government will bring its image more down; and will lead another build-up between media and government; which will benefit the neither party and government shall not forget that media houses and programs have nothing to lose because one way or the other they find their way back but government has only 5 years to perform, prove themselves and fulfill the promises they made to the nation.

This ban should also be an alarm bell for other media houses and programs that government is slowly and gradually tightening the freedom and space around them. When phrases like, ‘media as the biggest militant’, ‘media as a terrorist’ will be used than the going will not be that easy for the media once again. Such actions of a government are not going to earn them any relief; in fact it will bring with it more scandals, bad image and a bad name to the government. There are so many fighting fronts open already for the government with issues like corruption, NRO, terrorism, Kerry-Lugar Bill, Sugar, Electric crisis, Gas shortfall and financial deficit; and banning of a program will only aggravate the problems for government. One wonder from where does government find such advisers?

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Mushtaq Ahmad 11.25.09 at 5:01 am

I do agree with the views expressed in this news item. It is a shameful act of the Govt. of Pakistan that the most prominant programme MARAY MUTABIQ was banned, at the behest of a VIP. However, it is pertinent to mention here that the spokseman on 24th Nove. 2009 of the Govt of Pakistan has categorically denied to have pressurised the Govt. of Dubai to ban the airing of the programme MARAY MUTABIQ from Dubia. The spoksman further asserted that “it is the intention of Dr.Shahid Masood as he wanted to discontinue the porgramme as this porgramme was not being appreciated by the public.” It is amply clear that the deniel of the GOP for banning this porgramme is just a lame excuse and they want to simply avoid criticism of the public as well as of media. They are already under pressure due to NRO and they want o divert the pressure by asserting such baseless propganda to undermine the postion of the media. I again assert that this is a quite shameful act of the Govt. of Pakisatn for which they must feel ashamed . This shows great frustration of the Govt. of Pakistan.

2 orkut scraps 11.25.09 at 7:45 am

This Govt. is following previous Govt. act.

3 Pakistan First 11.28.09 at 6:17 pm

Its about time they took care of him.

Shahid Massood is an idiot doing nothing but confusing the nation already pretty confused nation.

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